Hurricane Milton’s destructive wind gusts pummeled portions of the Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier, which lost sections of roofing and remained closed to the public Friday.
A couple large sections of wind-socked white roofing and attached lumber remained stored in the empty pier parking lot Friday afternoon, where a security guard and yellow perimeter tape prevented tourists from entry.
Some workers pressure-washed outdoor decking, while others were seen working near a north-facing wall with eight windows that buckled and got shoved inward by Milton’s winds.
Westgate Resorts, the Orlando company that owns the 800-foot-long pier, did not respond to requests Friday seeking information on the storm damages. In a Friday afternoon reply on the pier’s Facebook page, an administrator wrote, “the Pier is temporarily closed while we work through some electrical issues.”
More than 1 million visitors are drawn to Westgate Cocoa Beach Pier every year, the company reports. The oceanfront structure houses four restaurants, five tropical-themed bars, gift shops and boutiques.
National Weather Service preliminary data shows Milton’s gusts in and near Cocoa Beach reached 81, 80 and 79 mph between 1:40 a.m. and 6:44 a.m. Thursday.
By sunrise Thursday, a large white section of pier roofing was left lying on the sand directly behind the Brevard County Ocean Rescue lifeguard tower just south of the pier, near the volleyball courts. Winds deposited a larger, twisted roofing section further south on the beach.
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